why is it bad to say the "n" word about black people?

Question

my finnish friend calls them the "N" word and I told him thats bad in america and he said why? and I dont really know why

Answer 1

invite your friend to an American comedy club and say it in front of an audience

Answer 2

The N-word has a long history and was not always meant as a bad thing. You can read all about it's history on sites like wikipedia. The way and the why in which this term has become to be so offensive is too long to answer in a forum like this.

Ironically (considering recent comic rants) it's in comedy that a lot of the connotations surrounding the word shows itself for both good and bad and again you can research this usage online easily and will provide you with great insights.
Lenny Bruce in particular used the phrase excessively in the belief that it would lessen the potency of it's offensiveness.

This brings up the interesting topic of why artists (esp African American) use the word and is likely one of the reasons your friend may be confused as to its offensive nature. There are lots of good reasons for this and one of them is a concept called "ownership". The idea behind this is that you take the slur out of the hands of those who wish to use it as an insult and reconstruct it into something else. You find this in other groups of people as well where slang terms and stereotypes are common.

Answer 3

Good question.
The word "*****" means "Black" in latin. So a ***** person is a black person in latin. Why it ok to call people Black, using the english word while it is offensive to call them black using the latin word is one of the idiosyncrasies of the American civilization. it doesn't really change the meaning. It isn't less discriminative(because if you refer to people by their skin color, categorising them to yellow, black, red, white etc is a silly thing regardless which language you are using) and it doesn't make a difference at all. Yet it 'looks' as if a difference have been made!! They just used the same phrases but just replaced the core word from its latin form to its english form.
What is the difference between:
1-Most American criminals are young (N words), and
2-Most AMerican Criminals are young black males ?
Technicaly, no difference at all!!!!
It is the the habbit of continiously reminding everybody that people are to be classified into black and white that composes the bad habit that should be abolished, if you really wish to be polite or politicaly correct or-more than above- a sane social human being.

Answer 4

the word comes from the Latin word that literally means "black". Its use in America is negative, not because the word itself is bad, but because of the feeling and hatred that went with it back in the slave days. I do know some black people that call each other the 'n' word, but then it is funny - apparently they are only bothered to have a white person call them that.

Answer 5

From my understanding this term was deeply entrenched in American culture from the days of slavery. It then transferred over to everyday use again as a derogatory description of anyone who had black or dark skin after the American Civil War. It persisted until anti-discrimination laws came into being in the Western World in the 1970's when it was no longer acceptable or tolerated to refer to Black African Americans by this term.
No disrespect meant to anyone or persons reading this answer.

Answer 6

Not sure, but many take offense for good reason. It just sounds like a not so nice word and is used hatefully. I'm white and people can call me honky, cracker or whatever they want and I'm not offended.

This is an interesting article

I can't link to this good article because it contains the "N" word and YA blocks that word.

Cute and paste and where you see the **** add the word.

http://wrt-intertext.syr.edu/XI/******.html

Answer 7

The "N" word was given to slaves by slave owners because they could not read or write. Now given the fact that slaves were taken away from their homes & family just to be enslaved and to be beaten, tourtured, raped, murdered, etc... The list goes on and on. - It's an insult because this is our African American History. Even if you call a black doctor the "N" word he or she will become offended... Not because he lacks knowledge as a slave once did, but because he/she is black and so is his ancestors.

It's a very sensitive subject, especially for African Americans. For us it's not just name calling; it has a meaning behind it.

Answer 8

even eye have too know a black guy or gal really well to be saying the word in a funny context like whats up ***** witch is a variation of the n word. a lot of black people dont like the young guy's walking around with it because they didnt go threw the struggle of equality like their parents








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Answer 9

That is how slave masters would refer to them back in times of slavery. So, it's a term of being looked down upon and it's a control/power thing.

Answer 10

This isn't the forum, I suggest you go into Harlem or Detroit and ask some of the locals if they mind being called ***.

Check back with us and let us know what you find...

Answer 11

The N word you are talking about I guess is *****. This is no different than Caucasian or Eskimo or any other race.